Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were photographed arm-in-arm at the The Art of Elysium 2016 Heaven Gala in January, suggesting their relationship deteriorated quickly. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have filed papers to end their 15-month marriage in what looks like a potentially acrimonious divorce. The filing by Heard came just three days after Depp’s mother died on May 20, according to reports.

Heard has asked for spousal support, but Depp has filed papers opposing the move.

The improbable romance began during filming of The Rum Diary in 2011. Heard starred opposite Depp as his love interest in the movie.

They married on February 3, 2015, in a private civil ceremony at their home in Los Angeles. They later repeated their vows in a ceremony on Depp’s private island.

At the time Depp was still in a relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis. They began dating in 2008 and had two children, daughter Lily-Rose Depp, born 1999 and son John Christopher “Jack” Depp III, born in 2002.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard engaged in some serious PDA at the Heaven gala, suggesting their marriage was still strong. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

The two did not have a pre-nup and Paradis reportedly received a $150 million settlement. The figure was estimated to be half of Depp’s net worth at the time of the split.

Depp and Heard seemed like an improbable match, not only because of their 22-year age difference, but also because of the markedly different personalities. Heard is much more out-going that the reclusive Depp, who is rarely seen at public events unless he’s promoting a film.

What role, if any, the death of Depp’s mother played in the split is unknown at the moment. But the timing is raising eyebrows. Betty Sue Palmer died May 20, according to gossip site TMZ, which broke the divorce story.

Johnny Depp and French actress Vanessa Paradis were in a relationship from 1998 to 2012 and had two children together. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)

Another possible factor is the large amount of time the couple spent apart while both were off filming movies. In the infamous, “Fappening” hacking episode, private nude photos of Heard surfaced. Most were selfies meant for Depp.

The actress, 30, filed divorce papers on Monday (May 23), citing the usual “irreconcilable differences.” The couple also has no pre-nup, according to the gossip site.

Depp is reportedly worth $400 million and still owns his private island in The Bahamas. He’s been on the road this month promoting his new film “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” It hits theaters Friday.

The couple made headlines around the world last year when Heard followed Depp to Australia. At the time, he was filming a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

She flew by private jet and did not declare her dogs Pistol and Boo when she arrived Down Under. As it turned out, Australia has strict importation laws regarding animals and Heard was charged for illegally smuggling the dogs into the country.

The case was settled in April. Heard paid a $1,000 fine and received one-month probation. The couple was also required to make a public service video about Australia’s laws. The video went viral.

In 2010, Heard came out as a lesbian in a speech at the GLAAD 25th Anniversary Celebration. Her sexuality had been an open secret in Hollywood for a couple of years.

She had been dating photographer Tasya van Ree, off and on, since 2008, but has also dated men. Depp was her first marriage.

About The Author

Celebrity Health & Fitness

Keith Girard is Editor and Publisher of Celebrity Health & Fitness, a New York City lifestyle Web magazine devoted to health, fitness, diet, beauty and relationships. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of Billboard magazine and a reporter for the Washington Post among other media positions.